[state] women’s political participation

"The first lady of Qatar walked up to the podium in a luxury hotel banquet room and sized up the crowd of mostly wealthy businessmen. "Do not be afraid to take risks and to try," she told them. 'Think out of the box.'"

On Monday 3 June 2008, the Women’s Minister of the Bougainville Autonomous Government was sacked from her Cabinet position. Magdalene Toroansi was the lone voice in the Cabinet to oppose President Kabui’s signature to a mining contract with Canadian mining company, Invincible which would reopen the Panguna Mine in Central Bougainville, taking 70 per cent of the profits offshore.

Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa has appointed a Jewish woman as envoy to Washington - the first Jew in the Arab world to become an ambassador. Local human rights groups, however, raise concerns.